Natasha Rothwell Had 'Imposter Syndrome' on White Lotus Season 3 Working with 'People I Idolized Growing Up' (Exclusive)

Natasha Rothwell had more than a handful of jitters on her first day back on set White lotus.

The actress — who played Belinda, a spa manager who struck up a strong relationship with Tanya Jennifer Coolidge, in the first season — is the only cast member to return for the highly-anticipated third season, but even she had a few bumps in the road as she slipped back into character.

“Carrie Coon gave me the best description. She says, ‘It’s like putting on a wet bathing suit,'” Rothwell tells PEOPLE of preparing to revisit Belinda.

“You know it fits. You know it fits. And you know, once you get in the water, it’s going to be a wonderful feeling. But it’s also just a little bit… You just say, ‘Wait a minute, does the hand go here? And then you jump in, you say, ‘ Oh, I know how… I know this.'”

Walton Goggins calls to record White lotus Season 3 ‘One of the Greatest Experiences of My Life’ (Exclusive)

The actual effort to get back into the character’s mindset was one thing, but Rothwell, 43, admits there was another big hurdle in the early days of filming.

“These are people I idolized growing up, so sharing the screen with them, I had this impostor syndrome,” she says, referring to an impressive list of actors including Parker Posey (who “called me today”) and Michelle Monaghan. who recently moderated a panel on Rothwell’s new Hulu series, How to die alone.

Natasha Rothwell in the first season of “White Lotus”.

Mario Perez/HBO

“Even when I asked Michelle to moderate the panel, I told my team, I said, ‘She’s Michelle Monaghan. There’s no way she’s going to do that.’ We were so close in Thailand – we were all so close – and she literally responded so quickly, [she] it was like, ‘Absolutely,'” shares Rothwell. “She came prepared. She watched the show, and it’s just… You create a family when you do that White lotus.”

Advice from another of her A-list co-stars, Carrie Coon, also helped Rothwell feel confident on set.

“Carrie was actually the one who brought me back down to Earth, because she said, ‘We’re all nervous to meet you because you were in the first season. You’re, like, OG.'”

Carrie Coon recounts a ‘really fun’ game night White lotus Drinking Out of Coconuts Season 3 Bundle (Exclusive)

It wasn’t just Posey, Monaghan and Coon who Rothwell became close to. It’s “every person in the cast,” she says. “We’re on text chains… I think it’s gross.”

She praises creator Mike White for developing such a strong sense of friendship on set — not just once, but three times. “He’s got the Mida touch. He’s very good at creating that chemistry.”

“This is the thing that I will say is the same as the first season: the connections you make on White lotus the rallies are legitimate,” she continues.

Natasha Rothwell in “How to Die Alone”.

Disney/Lindsay Sarazin

Similar to Monaghan, her co-star Leslie Bibb also recently stepped in to help Rothwell make “some promotional videos [How to Die Alone]. She says, ‘I’m there’.”

“Having people come up to me is also one of those pinch-me moments where it’s like… I’ve done so much for other people, I never expect reciprocity,” she says. “It was really cool to see that from all the colleagues I’ve ever had, but White lotus especially she was super supportive.”

Never miss a story — subscribe to PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Seasons 1 and 2 of White lotus can be streamed on HBO Max.

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education